1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data accumulating method and apparatus, and more particularly to a data accumulating method and apparatus available when executing at least two different programs including a first program on compression and accumulation of digital raw data indicative of digital contents made up of specific information on at least one of audio sound, image, and others, and a second program on, for example, vehicle navigation.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been proposed in the prior art, a wide variety of conventional data accumulating apparatus, one typical example of which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Publication No. 2002-184108.
The conventional data accumulating apparatus 900 is shown in FIG. 9 as comprising a hard disc driver 920 for driving a hard disc 921, and compressing means 910 for receiving a digital raw data on an audio sound from an external electronic device 10 such as, for example, a compact disc driver at a specific processing rate. Digital coded data is produced from the digital raw data by compressing the digital raw data into the digital coded data before accumulating the digital coded data into the hard disc 921.
The compressing means 910 may be constituted by at least one Digital Signal Processor (hereinafter simply referred to as “DSP”).
The conventional data accumulating apparatus 900 thus constructed as previously mentioned, however, encounters a problem that the digital raw data tends to fail to be uninterruptedly accumulated into the hard disc 921 by the DSP at the specific processing rate. The conventional data accumulating apparatus 900 is, furthermore, relatively expensive in production cost if the compressing means 910 is constituted by at least one DSP.
On the other hand, the compressing means 910 may be a central processing unit (hereinafter simply referred to as “CPU”) for executing at least two different programs including a first program on compression and accumulation of the digital audio data, a second program on, for example, automotive navigation.
The conventional data accumulating apparatus 900 thus constructed as previously mentioned, however, encounters such a problem that the digital raw data tends to fail to be uninterruptedly compressed into the digital coded data when the second program is executed by the CPU on a relatively high preferential basis.